Purpose -The aim of this study is to investigate whether knowledge management (KM) contributes to the development of strategic orientation and to enhance innovativeness, and whether these three factors contribute to improve business performance. Design/methodology/approach -A sample of 241 Brazilian companies was surveyed, using Web-based questionnaires with 54 questions, using ten-point scales to measure the degree of agreement on each item of each construct. Structural equation modeling techniques were applied for model assessment and analysis of the relationships among constructs. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and path analysis using the technique of structural equation modeling were applied to the data.Findings -Effective KM contributes positively to strategic orientation. Although there is no significant direct effect of KM on innovativeness, the relationship is significant when mediated by strategic orientation. Similarly, effective KM has no direct effect on business performance, but this relationship becomes statistically significant when mediated by strategic orientation and innovativeness.Research limitations/implications -The findings indicate that KM permeates all relationships among the constructs, corroborating the argument that knowledge is an essential organizational resource that leverages all value-creating activities. The results indicate that both KM and innovativeness produce significant impacts on performance when they are aligned with a strategic orientation that enables the organization to anticipate and respond to changing market conditions.Originality/value -There is a substantial body of research on several types of relationships involving KM, strategic orientation, innovativeness and performance. This study offers an original contribution by analyzing all of those constructs simultaneously, using established scales so that comparative studies are possible.
Purpose
This paper aims to analyze the main elements of the process of social innovation by using a case of a tourism cooperative created by an underprivileged community in Northeastern Brazil while assessing the applicability of the conceptual framework proposed by Centre de Recherche sur les Innovations Sociales (CRISES) in that context.
Design/methodology/approach
The case study was based mainly on content analysis of semi-structured interviews with cooperative managers and members, complemented by direct observation, analysis of documents and data from secondary sources.
Findings
The process of social innovation in the tourism cooperative presents distinctive characteristics that are not adequately captured by the dimensions that are proposed in the CRISES framework. Alternative frameworks may contribute additional perspectives to complement and expand the current approach to the analysis of social innovation in diverse contexts.
Practical implications
The study indicates the need for more appropriate territorially based metrics and assessment models for particular configurations and settings of social innovation, such as in this case.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to a better understanding of the diversity of social innovation possibilities and how extant analytical frameworks may be adapted and expanded to capture such diversity.
Collective strategies of cooperation among people and organizations constitute a major form of effective participation of social actors in the production of innovations and consequently, the competitiveness and economic growth of firms, regions and nations. The increasing importance of innovation clusters, alliances and inter-organizational networks highlights the relevance of this study, which seeks a better understanding of the process of local network creation and its contribution to innovation activities. The research approach emphasizes interactions and exchanges of knowledge and information among public and private agents in local networks. The empirical context for the analysis is a case study of the local production arrangement (APL), or cluster, of knitwear producers in Imbituva, Paraná, Brazil. The findings indicate that innovations in the APL have been inexpressive with a limited impact on the organizations. The study found a positive correlation between intensity of interactions, propensity to innovate and business performance. In addition, it was found that the older companies presented a more intense pattern of interactions. Network analysis reveals that innovation and local interaction aspects are poorly developed which suggests the importance of initiatives to foster innovativeness and learning by increasing interactions among companies and institutions in the APL.
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